Make It 2017-2018

We’re committed to inspiring as many people as possible to get involved in manufacturing. Perhaps the most powerful tool we have at our disposal is the Make It Campaign.

We’re committed to inspiring as many people as possible to get involved in manufacturing. Perhaps the most powerful tool we have at our disposal is the Make It Campaign – a tournament featuring an array of challenges to encourage teenagers to consider careers in the sector.

Not only does Make It take pupils inside authentic industry locations and offer them the opportunity to try their hand at problem-solving, it also highlights the importance of manufacturing as a whole. At the conclusion of the campaign, children will hopefully come to realise a rewarding role awaits them after leaving school.

In this case study, The Manufacturing Institute’s own Stephanie Boyle offers a more comprehensive overview of our Make It Campaign, explaining why it remains so valuable.

Where did the idea for the Make It Campaign come from?

We’ve been running the Make It Campaign since 2006, and it all started when we saw how many manufacturers were struggling to recruit people with the right skills.

There were very few school leavers going straight into manufacturing back then, leading to ageing workforces across the industry.

We knew something needed to change, and decided to put together a campaign aimed at young people that reversed the negative perceptions surrounding manufacturing. We partnered with businesses across the country to provide a series of exciting enterprise challenges.

What has made the Make It Campaign so successful is that the challenges always change depending on the sponsor’s sector. The initiative has grown year on year and now we have some huge names involved like BAE Systems and Kellogg’s.

What are the objectives and goals of the Make It Campaign?

A lot of young people don’t really know what manufacturing is, and one of our objectives is to show that it isn’t all about working on a production line.

It’s a massive industry, and there are many different roles available across multiple departments in various sectors – from automotive and clothing to food and drink.

Make It also aims to create links between the manufacturers of today and those of the future. By encouraging collaboration and building these relationships, we can generate the next wave of talent.

Why should someone sponsor the Make It Campaign?

The benefits for sponsors vary from business to business, but something every organisation can enjoy about Make It is improved workforce prospects.

Two of our major partners – BAE Systems and Kellogg’s – have both enjoyed fruitful recruitment following Make It Campaigns in the past. Since 2008, BAE have brought on board a number of graduates from Make It, whilst Kellogg’s use the events to promote their apprenticeship programmes to participants.

Make It also reaches further than ordinary campaigns by actively encouraging teachers to attend. In turn, they share their experiences with their employer and bring back manufacturing knowledge to their respective schools. Creating these links is really important.

How do schools get involved with the Make It Campaign?

We’ve got very strong relationships with a lot of schools across the North West now. We tend to find that many people contact us after the event announcements, as they’re really keen to get involved.

If we’re launching a brand new event with a different manufacturer, we contact schools within a 10 to 20-mile radius and operate on a first come, first served basis.

We ask for schools to put forward a diverse mix of children in terms of both gender and ability, and also try to involve institutions in less affluent areas.

This way, everyone has the chance to try Make It. All it takes is one enterprise challenge and it could spark passion in a student for the very first time. They don’t necessarily have to be keen on manufacturing right from the start.

Is there anything else you think people should know about Make It?

Companies need to know that we have a solution for them – no matter how big or small they may be.

We can mould each Make It Campaign to each organisation. Every enterprise challenge is bespoke and, by working together, we can pave a promising future for manufacturing.

For more information about The Manufacturing Institute’s Make It Campaign, get in touch with Stephanie on +44 (0) 161 875 2525 and choose option three.

“Make It aims to create links between the manufacturers of today and those of the future. By encouraging collaboration and building these relationships, we can generate the next wave of talent.”

Stephanie Boyle, The Manufacturing Institute

FRAMEWORK FOR EXCELLENCE CONFERENCE 2019

Tuesday 19th - 21st March 2019 at the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & County Club

The Manufacturing Institute are actively involved in the Shingo prize for excellence - an award widely considered to be the Nobel Prize of manufacturing. With our help, organisations can grow and develop to the point where they meet, and even surpass, Shingo prize criteria standards.